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The annual “why aren’t we the home team” thread.

T

THEChapelthrill

All-Conference
Aug 2, 2025
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We’ve done the usual starting pitching thread. Just wanted to get this started now so it’s ready to go when we are the visiting team possibly at some point this weekend, maybe even twice.

How is that possible you ask? I’m not sure, other than the NCAA has some secret formula that no one understands that attempts to have everyone be the home team the same amount of times.

Why is that a thing and the host school not the home team for every game they play as a benefit of playing well and getting to just? Another inane NCAA decision. Can’t wait!
 
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UNCAlum83

UNCAlum83

Senior
Jul 17, 2025
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Dumb rule, but nothing secret about it. It's in the Participants Manual (page 13):


HOME TEAM – REGIONALS For first-round games, the highest-seeded team shall be designated as the home team. In subsequent games, the home team shall be determined according to a formula applied by the games committee. In determining which of two teams in any game will be the home team, the games committee or the NCAA site representatives uses the following guidelines:
  1. The institution that has been the home team the fewer number of times in that particular tournament shall be designated the home team

  2. If the two teams are equal in this respect but unequal in the number of times they were the visitor, then the team that has been the visitor more often will be designated the home team

  3. If the two teams are equal in the number of times that they have been home and visitor, the games committee or the NCAA site representative(s) shall observe the following procedures in the order stated:

    a. If the two teams have met previously in that particular tournament, the visitor in the previous game shall be the home team in the game in question.

    b. The team that was visitor in its preceding game shall be the home team, unless both teams were visitors in their preceding games.

  4. Again in 2025, if the two teams are different seeds, the better seeded team will be designated as the home team.
 
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Chooch

Sophomore
Apr 15, 2026
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It would be easier & logical to have the home team be the hosting team, they obviously did something to deserve it. Not getting three really good baseball teams in to play when teams are hosting other regionals are playing teams with losing records that didn’t play in real tough conferences is as enough.
 
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UNCAlum83

UNCAlum83

Senior
Jul 17, 2025
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Tar_HeeI said:
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the host used to have to give up their dugout and (at least) that part of the stupid rule has been changed.
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Yes, that rule got changed several years back.

Current rule:

DUGOUT DESIGNATION During the prechampionship meeting for the regionals and super regionals, the host institution must designate whether the first or third base dugout will be designated the home team dugout during the tournament.

The host institution may choose to remain in their preferred dugout throughout the round, regardless of being designated as the home or visiting team for that particular gam

During games that do not include the host institution, the participating teams should occupy the predetermined “home team” or “visiting team” dugout based on their home/visitor designation for that gam

Should a host venue have portions of their stadium or playing field that fail to comply with NCAA Baseball Playing Rules (including but not limited to bullpens) and create a competitive advantage for a team in one dugout over the other, the host institution would not be allowed to remain in its preferred dugout if it is designated as the visiting team. The NCAA site representatives (in consultation with the NCAA national office) will have the final say on any issues of dugout determination.
 
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unctarheel1984

unctarheel1984

All-Conference
Aug 15, 2002
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IIRC we had at least one year as the host team where we played more games as the away team than the home team, including back to back games with “away” designation.
 
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wboheels

wboheels

Senior
Apr 25, 2024
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Carolinafan20 said:
So do I have this right:

ECU and VCU have each been the home team once and the visiting team once. Therefore ECU (higher seed) will be the home team.

If ECU wins, we are home, since we’ve been home once and ECU will have been home twice.

If VCU wins, we are visitor, because VCU has been visitor more than us.
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That is my understanding, but i’m not sure if that says a whole lot haha
 
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B

BallDontLieNumbersDo

Junior
Oct 8, 2025
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I understand what they're trying to do, but the problem with this rule as written is that it punishes UNC for the advantage Tennessee got in the first game. Tennessee, not UNC.

I agree with giving the host the option to be voluntarily away in Game 1. That would fix the most egregious part.
 
CarolinaBlue

CarolinaBlue

All-Conference
Jul 27, 2025
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Carolinafan20 said:
So do I have this right:

ECU and VCU have each been the home team once and the visiting team once. Therefore ECU (higher seed) will be the home team.

If ECU wins, we are home, since we’ve been home once and ECU will have been home twice.

If VCU wins, we are visitor, because VCU has been visitor more than us.
Click to expand...
That’s my understanding too.
 
Psycho50

Psycho50

All-Conference
Aug 1, 2025
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So we would be home against ECU tomorrow and visitor should it be VCU. Is that right?
ECU: Away/Home/Home
VCU: Away/Home/Away
UNC: Home/Away
 
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UNCAlum83

UNCAlum83

Senior
Jul 17, 2025
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Yes, against ECU, we will be the home team, and visitors against VCU (rule 1). Of note, if game 7 is needed, we would be the visitors against ECU and home against VCU (rule 2).

  1. The institution that has been the home team the fewer number of times in that particular tournament shall be designated the home team.

  2. If the two teams are equal in this respect but unequal in the number of times they were the visitor, then the team that has been the visitor more often will be designated the home team.
 
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unctar2001

unctar2001

All-American
Aug 1, 2025
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UNCAlum83 said:
Yes, against ECU, we will be the home team, and visitors against VCU (rule 1). Of note, if game 7 is needed, we would be the visitors against ECU and home against VCU (rule 2).

  1. The institution that has been the home team the fewer number of times in that particular tournament shall be designated the home team.

  2. If the two teams are equal in this respect but unequal in the number of times they were the visitor, then the team that has been the visitor more often will be designated the home team.
Click to expand...
I guess calculus wasn’t useless after all
 
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